The invention relates to a chopper for a particle beam.
When using particle beams, such as for research purposes, it is frequently important to modulate the beam into pulses that are defined in space and time. For this purpose, choppers comprising a control element are used, which include regions that allow the particle beam to pass to varying degrees. By moving the control element through the particle beam, the particle beam alternately impinges on regions having higher and lower transmission, and is thus modulated.
From DE 10 2004 002 326 A1, choppers configured as wheels are known, which are rotated through the particle beam. The circumferential speed at the edge of the chopper wheel defines the frequency with which the particle beam can be modulated.
A refinement of these choppers is known from DE 10 2007 046 739 A1, in which a small control element periodically revolves around a fixed guide element, which defines the path of the control element. Considerably less mass has to be moved in order to modulate the particle beam, which avoids placing high mechanical stress on the material due to centrifugal forces, and undesirable natural oscillations.
The disadvantage is that the chopper wheel or the guide element requires a lot of space. This space, however, is constrained, especially in large scientific devices which produce particle beams, so as to give the largest possible number of users an opportunity to use it. At the same time, there is great interest in modulating the beam as close to this generation site as possible, so as to be able to use the largest possible number of neutrons during a specified pulse duration, particularly in spallation neutron sources or research reactors, which initially emit neutrons in all directions analogously to a punctiform source, starting from the generation site of neutrons. However, the closer the chopper is to the neutron generation site, the less space is available.
Moreover, the pulse duration and repetition rate cannot be varied independently of each other in existing choppers, because the two variables are tied to the circumferential frequency of the control element.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a chopper which requires less space in the immediate vicinity of the beam path of the particle beam that is to be modulated than choppers according to the prior art. A further object of the invention is to decouple the pulse duration and the repetition rate from each other so that both variables can be optimally selected for the particular use.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a chopper according to the main claim and by a method according to the additional independent claim. Further advantageous embodiments will be apparent from the dependent claims.
Within the scope of the invention, a chopper for a particle beam was developed. This chopper comprises: at least one flexible control element, which is divided into at least two regions A and B, wherein region B is less transparent to the particle beam than region A, in particular region B is not transparent to the particle beam at all; and at least one drive source for moving the control element through the particle beam in such a way that the particle beam impinges on regions A and B in a chronologically alternating manner.
According to the invention, the control element has a band-shaped design and is non-positively seated against the outer circumference of at least one element that can be caused to rotate by the drive source.
It was found that the chopper can have a significantly more space-saving design when the control element is designed as a band-shaped element than as a wheel-shaped or ring-shaped chopper according to the known art. In particular, the drive source, which is bulky compared to the control element, can be disposed spatially separated from the beam path while the band itself transmits the force from the drive source. For example, the band can be deflected by one or more rollers, and the drive source can be positioned far away from the beam path in a location where space is no longer scarce. The band can also be guided through a narrow aperture in a wall into a different space, in which the drive source is located. The speed with which the control element is moved through the particle beam can then be increased by enlarging the circumference of the element that can be caused to rotate.
As a result of the space savings, the user attains additional freedom in terms of the direction in which the control element is moved through the particle beam. For example, if the particle beam does not have a square cross-section, but rather has a rectangular cross-section, the minimally achievable pulse duration can be decreased, while keeping the linear speed of movement the same, by moving the control element along the short side of the rectangular cross-section through the particle beam. It is particularly advantageous for this purpose if the control element is also flexible (twistable) in itself, because it can then also be moved along a bent progression.
Since the drive source is no longer necessarily required to be disposed close to the location at which the particle beam impinges on the chopper, it is advantageously protected from potential radiation damage, which improves the durability of the chopper. When a neutron beam serves as the particle beam that is modulated by the chopper, many materials that can be used in region B to intercept the neutron beam are activated by the impinging neutrons and, in turn, emit strong gamma radiation. This radiation attacks organic molecules by breaking up chemical bonds and prompting the formation of free radicals. The insulation of the windings in electric motors, which are frequently used as the drive source, contains organic molecules, and is thus attacked by the gamma radiation over time, so that the motor ultimately fails due to short circuiting.
It was further found that, compared to solid chopper wheels, the control element has a very low mass and that, as a result of the non-positive seating against the element that can be caused to rotate by the drive source, a change or even reversal in the rotational speed of this element immediately affects the control element, without having to overcome a large moment of inertia. The movement speed with which the control element is moved through the particle beam can thus be varied. In particular, in the configuration of the control element in which at least a subregion of the particle beam passes exclusively through region A of the control element, the drive source can be operated at a different movement speed than in the configuration of the control element in which the particle beam completely impinges on a region B. The first movement speed is then decisive for the pulse duration within which the chopper is more transparent to the particle beam. The latter movement speed is decisive for the repetition rate, which is to say the duration between the pulses. The two speeds can be selected independently of each other in keeping with the demand that arises from the particular use. While it was possible to vary the circumferential frequency of the control element according to the prior art, it was not possible to vary the circumferential speed during a single revolution. The chopper according to the invention can achieve at least the performance of existing wheel choppers for each of the two speeds, and due to the lower moving mass it rather tends to achieve better performance.
The chopper according to the invention moreover allows a more flexible response to a change in the beam cross-section, and more particularly in the beam height, than with conventional wheel choppers. For example, if there is a change in the beam height perpendicular to the movement direction, the control element only has to be widened to modulate the beam in the same manner as before. With a wheel chopper, regions A and B would have to be redesigned in the same situation, with consideration for the circumferential speed being dependent on the radial distance from the rotational axis, so that the beam is closed or opened across the entire cross-sectional surface thereof for the same duration.
The control element can advantageously be expanded in the movement direction. In this way, it can be continuously maintained under mechanical stress, which improves the force fit with the element that can be caused to rotate. In particular, the control element does not have to be pressed externally against the element that can be caused to rotate. In this way, a coating can be applied in subregions, for example on the outer side of the control element which does not have non-positive contact, the coating forming regions B allowing less of the particle beam to pass. Both the pressing mechanism and the coating itself wear quickly when the coating is repeatedly rolled between the pressing mechanism and the element that can be caused to rotate.
Moreover, an expandable control element avoids placing extreme mechanical stresses on the control element during a change, or even reversal, of the movement speed of the drive source. The expandable control element additionally has damping properties, so that oscillations originating from the drive source are essentially unable to propagate to the location at which the beam is modulated. Wheel choppers, in contrast, are rigid systems and are susceptible to oscillations.
As an alternative, or in combination, in a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a damping element, for example a torsion spring, is disposed in the force fit between the drive source and the control element. The damping element dissipates the energy of the oscillations originating from the drive source.
The torque with which the drive source moves the control element by way of the element that can be caused to rotate, and the area density of the control element should be matched to each other, so that the operation of the drive source is not impaired. The control element advantageously has a mean area density of less than 50 g per meter in length. The lighter the material, the lower are the forces that are needed for the drive and for any directional change of a rapid movement. For example, if the band is continuous, there are necessarily reversal points along the length of the band at which even a movement having a steady speed becomes an accelerated movement.
As a result, both the control element itself and the mechanics for the deflection thereof are subjected to forces at the reversal point.
In particular, a carbon fiber band, or a band made of a fiber composite material, having a thickness between 0.025 mm and 0.5 mm, and preferably having a thickness of 0.1 mm or less, is suitable as a control element. These materials are both lightweight and expandable in the movement direction. They are very transparent to neutron beams serving as the particle beam, and thus form regions A, Regions B are formed on the band either by introducing a neutron-absorbing material into the band, or by applying a neutron-absorbing material to both sides of the band, or integrating the same into the band. Suitable neutron-absorbing materials are 10B or Gd, for example, which can be applied to the band, for example embedded into a polymer, in a layer thickness between 0.1 and 0.5 mm. However, the control element can also be a metallic band having apertures through which the particles can pass. The apertures then form regions A, while the metallic band itself forms the non-transparent region B. Typically, the control element is substantially (95%) composed of regions B that are not transparent to neutrons, and has only few neutron windows (regions A), which are transparent to neutrons.
Region A is advantageously at least 75%, preferably at least 90%, most particularly preferably at least 95% transparent to the particle beam, and ideally is entirely transparent to the particle beam. Region B is advantageously no more than 10%, preferably no more than 1%, most particularly preferably no more than 0.1% transparent to the particle beam, and ideally is completely non-transparent to the particle beam.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control element is a continuous band. The drive source can then be operated steadily, while the particle beam can still be periodically modulated. In particular, it is not necessary to repeatedly stop and reverse the movement with high acceleration forces.
The control element can be guided on a path (in one layer) through the beam path and around the beam path on the return path. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the control element is guided in at least two layers through the beam path of the particle beam, and comprises at least two regions A and two regions B in each case. These regions are disposed with respect to each other in such a way that, in at least one configuration of the control element, which can be established by the drive source, at least a portion of the particle beam passes through a region A in both layers. It is then not necessary to guide the control element around the beam path on the return path. Rather, both paths can run in one plane, so that the band does not have to be twisted. In this configuration, the entire particle beam advantageously passes through a respective region A in both layers.
The distance between the two layers in the beam direction can advantageously be varied. This can be achieved, for example, by guiding the two layers over separate roller pairs. By guiding the second pair of rollers, over which the second layer is guided, closer together, while also guiding them away from the first layer in the beam direction, the distance between the two layers can be increased, while maintaining the length of the control element. This can be used to allow only particles having a speed within a certain range to pass in the flight times thereof (speed filter).
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, in at least one configuration of the control element which can be established by the drive source, the particle beam impinges on a region B in the second layer to the extent that it passes through a region A in the first layer. The two layers then contribute, in sum, to the formation of a window that is transparent to the particle beam for the shortest possible time. In this configuration, half of the beam cross-section is ideally blocked by a region B in the first layer. The second half of the beam cross-section passing through a region A in the first layer is then blocked by a region B in the second layer. The pulse duration can then be cut in half. This effect can be achieved not only with two layers of one and the same continuous band, but also with two bands that are not connected, the movements of which are simply synchronized.
Based on the above, the invention also relates to a method for operating a chopper according to the invention. In the configuration of the control element in which at least a subregion of the particle beam passes exclusively through region A of the control element, the drive source is operated at a different movement speed than in the configuration of the control element in which the particle beam completely impinges on a region B. The effect of this is that the pulse duration and the repetition rate can be set independently of each other.
The subject matter of the invention will be described hereafter based on figures, without thereby limiting the subject matter of the invention.